Vitiligo is associated with lower body mass index: a retrospective case-control study.

Sharifzadeh, Afsheen; Wetstone, Rachel; Chen, Li-Chi; Guilarte-Walker, Yurima; Flahive, Julie; Harris, John E · Br J Dermatol · 2025

case_control · Level III

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Abstract

Our study demonstrated that adults with vitiligo had a 1.5-unit lower BMI [mean (SD) 27.8 (6.1) vs. 29.3 (7.2) kg m<sup>–2</sup>; <i>P</i> = 0.001], but higher risk of hyperlipidaemia [aOR 1.40, 95% CI (1.12–1.70)] and hypercholesterolaemia [aOR 1.44, 95% CI (1.10–1.90)] compared with age-, sex- and race-matched subjects without vitiligo. The inverse association between BMI and vitiligo was independent of the presence of concomitant cardiometabolic diseases. Additionally, we contextualized these findings in relation to other immune-mediated skin disorders, including alopecia areata and psoriasis, to explore underlying pathogenesis and guide the development of appropriate screening criteria.